From Code to Curriculum: Meet blue{shift}’s Head of Content

Jordan Wu is a former blue{shift} coding teacher who now works full-time behind the scenes creating and curating the creative content for every blue{shift} after school club and holiday camp. As a graduate of Goldsmith’s, University of London with a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Arts Computing, Jordan started his path to blue{shift} as a coding camp and after-school club teacher. Now behind the scenes, he creates the curriculum used in all blue{shift} clubs, camps, and courses as the Head of Content.

What was your first experience, that you remember, with science and tech?

Science was taught in school, but I distinctly remember my first experience with computing when I was about five. We had an old PC — so old it didn’t have an internet connection! — in the house, and my cousins brought over theJurassic Parkvideo game. I just watched them play, and from then, became fascinated with gaming.

So, is this what led you to pursue tech in university?

Growing up, we did not have a lot of technology in the house, so I drew a lot! I have always loved drawing, and I thought I wanted to be an architect, a product designer, or an automotive engineer. So, in uni I wanted to study something I love, which is art, and get to experience the tech I didn’t really have. At Goldsmiths, they combined art and computing, the two things I truly enjoy, together in one program.

What got you into teaching coding? And what’s your favourite part of the job?

As the oldest of five children and with over 20 cousins, I have always really loved children. (Probably because they were always around!) So to me, it made sense. I get to teach kids what I love, and they get so excited about it. That’s my favourite part. Seeing the kids screaming over a new project or being passionate about what they’re creating, those moments are what I love about the job.

You’ve transitioned from teacher to content curator. How does it feel to be the one creating the curriculum used in the classroom?

Creating content is very different than teaching. Having that classroom background, I got to know what the kids like, and I work from there. I get to find new ways of incorporating important concepts while giving them the games they enjoy. It all works together, and the students get the most out of it.

What course then is your favorite to plan/teach?

I love VR and Unity. There is so much freedom in it, and you get to truly go into the concepts and coding. It’s the details in platforms like this that people miss, and those details are what makes the final product so good. You get to be as creative as you’d like, and it is open ended. To put it simply, virtual reality is awesome!

What would you say to a parent or child who’s interested in coding?

For parents, start teaching kids younger and give them the opportunity to learn. By the time coding and tech becomes ingrained in society, they’ll be well ahead. As for kids, coding doesn’t have to be nerdy stuff. There are so many creative ways you can apply it, and people often just don’t realise it.